Saturday, August 6, 2011

A Ukraine judge has ordered that former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko be taken into custody during her trial on charges of abuse of office. Police escorted Ms Tymoshenko out of the courtroom, prompting her supporters to shout "Shame!" and scuffle with police. The judge has accused Ms Tymoshenko of repeated violations of court rules, including impeding proceedings.Ms Tymoshenko says the charges against her are politically motivated.She is accused of illegally agreeing a 10-year contract to buy natural gas from Russia, which investigators say meant Ukraine was forced to buy gas at prices that were ruinous for its economy. Until now, Ms Tymoshenko had been required to remain in Kiev but had not been placed in detention. Court proceedings have been adjourned until Monday.The whole article is available athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14419216